Ken Follet’s The Pillars of the Earth is an excellent novel packed into a stunning point-and-click adventure. While it may be on the slower side for some, it’s certainly a story that I would recommend to others. With heavy subject matter set in the 12th-century of England, it can come across as dark and almost somber. But the moments of humor and triumph are well worth the play through.
Rhythm games aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re looking to get into one, look no further. Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is a wonderful entry game and if you get it bundled with the drum controller, there’ll be no stopping you. If you don’t want to shell out for the controller, that’s ok. Playing it in the other three modes is equally as fun. There’s a large range of music types so there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Whether you’re just dipping your toes in or a veteran rhythm player, the amount of content in the base game alone without the music pass will be sure to give you endless hours of playtime.
If you’re a fan of Persona 5 with a dash of Yakuza, I can certainly recommend Dusk Diver 2. The characters are incredibly likeable, the environment is bright and vivid. Despite not knowing the full context of the story from the original game, the story in this title was still intriguing. JRPG fans and fans of the hack-n-slash genre should definitely add this one to their playlist.
For such a small game, the meaning and intent behind it is large. It made me think of all the things I’d had to leave behind between moves, especially after moving from a small town to a big city. As you progress, you’ll note some stuff that isn’t there in the later moves despite being there for the first couple. There’s also something inherently intimate about moving someone’s belongings around. It’s not just general things like clothing, cookware and more, but also toiletries and undergarments, it just feels more real. If you’ve had a long day and just want to play a fun laidback game or if you like organizing things or if you need a moment of self-reflection, Unpacking is a wonderful game that really needs more recognition and love.
Arise: A Simple Story may exactly be just that but the emotions and journey we go through is anything but. With a serene and breathtaking art style, I wasn’t quite expecting to experience such intense feelings. You really have to appreciate the love and nuanced care that developer Untold Tales put into this game. In total, the Arise is about 4-6 hours long depending on how quickly you go. But I assure you every moment is so worth it, I almost wish there was more. If this title slipped under your radar on its initial release, I would recommend picking it up for the Switch; however, I would also encourage you to have a box of tissues handy for those hard-hitting moments. You’ll need them, trust me.
There’s no mistaking that Dark Deity was heavily inspired by Fire Emblem. But what’s important is that it differentiates itself. And it does, giving it a well-earned place in strategy genre. Filled with wonderful characters with a ton of personality, and an intriguing but linear story with some decent audio, we have a title that will surely quench the thirst of FE fans that need to get back on that strategic grind.
There’s a lot to like and very little to dislike about République. The tank controls can take some time to get used to. And the auto-switching of the camera angle can be a pain among some other small annoyances. But quite honestly for an old IOS game, this title is surprisingly packed with content and replayability. It also offers an interesting and unique way to play stealth games. If you’re a fan of these kinds of games, I would certainly recommend giving République a go!
The graphics in Astroneer are simple yet bright, beautiful and vivid. It makes exploring the world much more exciting and I feel like it doesn’t strain your eyes, either. It’s a wonderful game to add to your collection. It turns out, being able to play and explore new terrain and worlds with friends is a lot of fun! Though the lack of a narrative or any driving force forwards may not be the most appealing for some. Even with the stress-free gameplay, it’s sometimes nice knowing that there’s a common goal we are working towards. If you want to explore a vividly bright world, or if you just want a very chill time to just sit back and relax, then I would certainly recommend you pick up Astroneer. Alone or with friends, you can explore and build to your heart’s content.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about marine life or wanted to explore the ocean depths without fear of having to fend for yourself, this is the game for you. Not to mention Beyond Blue would be a fantastic way to get children more immersed and aware of underwater creatures. However, suppose you’re looking for a game with a bit more to offer in terms of gameplay and content. In that case, you may be better off sticking to games like Subnautica that provide the same exploration with added goals and an even higher arching narrative.
While not everything could be easily used for some builds, the Blooming Rooms kit is a wonderful addition. The items are well thought out, and we can’t forget just how many fabulous swatches we got with each item. You can’t go wrong with livening up your spaces with some plants, and at $4.99, you may as well take the plunge.
It’s interesting how ENCODYA began as a short film called ‘Robot Will Protect You’ before becoming a game and story. It is a wonderful adventure and honestly, Tina and SAM’s relationship was nothing but heartwarming. For fans of the point-and-click genre or a good cyberpunk-themed story, you should definitely check this one out as it’s certainly worth a try. I’m hoping the frame rate issue is because of the age of my machine and not because of possible poor optimization for the previous generations of consoles, or that a patch is forthcoming to address the problem.
In the end, Colors Live is a great little program for beginners or for those who just want to do some doodling while you’re out and about. It’s got the basics that can help you learn the ins and outs of digital art while not bogging down newbies with a plethora of brushes and features. If you’re seriously considering getting into digital art, there are many programs and hardware you can pick up at the cheap, which will give you all the options to make great art. But for a younger person, picking up a physical copy of this game at $49.99 USD, which comes with the impressive Sonar Pen, is a fantastic way to let out that inner Van Gogh.
I absolutely adore everything about this game. If you’re a fan of games like Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley and Rune Factory, you’ll definitely like this title. It has a decent balance of farming and adventure, a solid story and the most adorable characters you will ever see. Since the game is pretty open, you can really go at your own pace, you don’t have to do any of the story quests right away if you feel like opting towards farming and gathering instead. Or if you think you can get away with a limited income, you can mostly forgo the farming and head straight into the adventure! Overall, Kitaria Fables is a wholesome and relaxed time.
Doomsday Vault is a charming title with a great message. I just wish there was a bit more of a narrative to help drive the player along, as I didn’t feel particularly inspired to move forward even though I knew I needed to. As a game for casual gamers or for the younger players getting into puzzlers, I would definitely recommend it.
The world of Henford-On-Bagley is absolutely breathtaking and has such a fairy-like and whimsical charm. EA really did a wonderful job capturing the rustic vibe of the European countryside. There are a few flaws with inventory management and the relatively scant wardrobe options, but you can still really enjoy your time on the farm. Because honestly, what’s better than being able to hug and pet your cows and llamas!
It’s hard to believe this game was released originally five years ago. However, the sentiments about loneliness, love, and what it means to be alive and human are still incredibly prevalent today. For those who want a more narrative-focused experience with a bit of gameplay set amongst a romantic Sci-fi theme, I would certainly recommend this game to you. It’s an incredibly endearing adventure, and with two different endings and multiple love interests, I would say doing more than one play-through is absolutely worth it.
Despite Anna’s Quest not necessarily bringing anything new to the point and click genre, it fully makes up for it in the story, acting, and characterization. You’ll definitely enjoy playing through this title if you like dark fairy tales or stories from the Brothers Grimm. It’s a bittersweet tale of a coming of age story as Anna goes from a timid young girl to a confident and strong young lady. Her journey isn’t easy, but it sure is worth experiencing.
Layers of Fear 2 is a surreal journey packed with fear and existential dread. Everything from the environment to the music, Layers of Fear 2 is an experience that is frightful, thought-provoking, and disorienting (in a good way). Granted, it doesn’t always hit every note; however, the decision to port it over to the Nintendo Switch is certainly a most welcome one.
Some horror fans may not like the consistently slow pace you have to keep up with for the entirety of the game, but for those who don’t mind taking things nice and slow while being scared out of your wits, Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife is certainly for you.
I’m often horrible at these types of games, finding that the skill jump from easy to medium to be too much of a challenge but I found Natsuki Chronicles fares as a good starting point for beginners. In saying that, this game isn’t easy either and will require a ton of play-throughs of the same level, especially the later ones and on higher difficulties, to best determine which weapon types work the best and also your strategy. But even so, fans of the bullet hell genre should most definitely add this game to their library.